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Russell Hampton
ClubRunner
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Speakers
Jan 31, 2020
Innovating New Construction Materials
Feb 07, 2020
Feb 14, 2020
Feb 21, 2020
Feb 28, 2020
Cow Manure to Methane Gas Project
Mar 06, 2020
Future of Utilities
Mar 13, 2020
State of Mind - Becoming Maine
Mar 20, 2020
View entire list
Executives & Directors
President
 
President Elect
 
Vice President
 
Treasurer
 
Secretary
 
Immediate Past President
 
Director Term End 2020
 
Director Term End 2020
 
Director Term End 2021
 
Director Term End 2021
 
Club Admin/Coordinator
 
Club Protection Officer
 
Community Service
 
Communications - PR External
 
Communications - WJ Bulletin Editor
 
Constitution/ByLaws Chair
 
Fund Raising Co-Chair
 
Fund Raising Co-Chair
 
Good Cheer Chair
 
International Service Chair
 
Invocation Chair
 
Meeting Day Chair
 
Membership Chair
 
Music Chair
 
New Mainers Initiative Chair
 
Program Co- Chair
 
Program Co-Chair
 
Opioid Task Force Co-Chair
 
Opioid Task Force Co-Chair
 
Rotary Foundation Chair
 
Sergeant -At-Arms
 
Web Administrator
 
Web Administrator Assistant
 
Youth Service Chair
 
Friday, January 31, 2020
Welcome to the
Rotary Club of Portland, Maine!
Portland Rotary
Service Above Self
We meet Fridays at 12:15 PM
The Clarion Hotel
1230 Congress Street
Portland, ME  04102
United States of America
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Rotary This Week
 
 
 
Portland Rotary
will meet Friday, January 31, 2020
at the Clarion Hotel
1230 Congress Street, Portland
*01/31/20 Dr. Habib Dagher, Exec Director Advanced Structures & Composites Center
As the founding Executive Director of the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, Dr. Dagher is a world-leading advocate for developing advanced structural systems which simultaneously optimize structures, materials, and construction.
 
Under his leadership, the UMaine Composites Center has gained national and international reputation from major research and development projects, such as:
  • The VolturnUS 1:8, which is the first grid-connected floating offshore wind turbine in the United States as well as the first in the world made out of concrete and composite materials
  • The “Bridge-in-a-Backpack” technology, which are inflatable composite arch bridges that are now approved in the AASHTO Code
  • The first Modular Ballistic Protection System (MBPS) approved by the US Army to protect troops in tents from blast and ballistic threats,
  • The development of coated wood technology for blast and hurricane resistant wood buildings
  • The longest carbon-fiber composite vessel built for the US Navy.
Additionally, Dr. Dagher holds more than 57 patents, and has received numerous awards, including:
  • The 2015 White House Transportation Champion of Change,
  • The Carnegie Foundation Maine Professor of the Year,
  • The Distinguished Maine Professor Award, which is the highest award given to a faculty member at UMaine
  • The American Society of Civil Engineers Charles Pankow Innovation Award
Under Dr. Dagher’s leadership, the UMaine Composites Center has grown to 220 full and part-time employees and students, has over 500 clients and partners globally, and is housed in a 100,000 ft accredited testing laboratory.

Dr. Dagher earned his Ph.D. in structural engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as two Masters Degrees in Structural engineering and engineering mechanics and joined the University of Maine faculty in 1985.
 
01/24/20 Nicole Avery,  Ex Dir Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Nicole Avery is the Executive Director of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southern Maine (BBBS). Nicole presented many ways a “Big” can help a child and the community. Children lucky enough to have a Big are shown to be 46% less likely to try drugs, 27% less likely to use alcohol, and 52% less likely to skip school. Kids with mentors are more confident, have higher aspirations, are more likely to do well in school and avoid risky behaviors.  

Of the youth BBBS serve:
  • 6% have a parent in prison;
  • 65% come from a single parent home and,
  • 33% live near the poverty level.

BBBS tries to match children (Littles) facing adversity, to a caring stable 1:1 relationship with a non-parent adult for support. They believe every child deserves a chance, and their Big/Little matching methods have proven to help the Big be another source of stability in a child’s life.  Bigs become trusted allies, good listeners, and a caring adult friend…..they are not a social worker, a psychologist or a baby sitter.
Nicole told us how a person becomes a Big. The Big goes through a screening process, a background reference check, and some training (not unlike a sports coach these days). BBBS will help the Big create a plan on their own with the parent or guardian engaged. Bigs typically meet with their Littles about 2-4 times per month. Some Big/Little matches meet individually, and others meet in larger groups with some pre-planned activities. The average match time is approximately 15 months, and the Bigs are asked to commit to a minimum of one year. BBBS has found that shorter terms, like 4 months, can cause the child to have a feeling of loss or abandonment and be worse for a child than good. To limit potential short-term relationships, BBBS conducts a significant and intensive match evaluation process to ensure the relationship will work out. BBBS focuses on the well-being and safety of the child, and that is what makes the Big/Little relationships so strong.
Nicole asked us to compare whether resources of less than $3,000 per year per match compare to the approximately $225,000 per year spent if a child spends a year in a juvenile detention center?
So what can you do to support BBBS?
  • Become a Big
  • Be an ambassador
  • Donate (and double your support through a matching grant)
Contact BBBS and find out more at: www.somebigs.org
 
 
(Photo: Nicole Avery and President Amy Chipman)
01/24/20 Bits & Pieces
President Amy Chipman welcomed Rotarians and guests. Paul Tully presented the invocation, we pledged our allegiance to the American Flag and we sang in unison with our patriotic song.
 

We had “Happy Dollars” being contributed all around the room, as many of our members had plenty to be thankful for.
The weekly raffle drawing was led by Bruce Jones (on left in photo at right). Our guest speaker drew the name of Jennifer Frederick (on right in photo at right) to try her luck for the huge jackpot of over $1300, but the elusive Queen of Hearts was not drawn from the dwindling number of cards left in the deck. Next week's drawing will be even more than $1320! 
 
 

Community Service Chair, Gracie Johnston (in photo at left), announced a new project for the month of February......see separate article this issue describing the details.
 

It was reported that the International Service team was currently in the Dominican Republic for the first phase of the Hearing, Hands and H2O (3-H). Traveling with the International Services Group is PP John Curran, Bill Dunn from Yarmouth Rotary, and Ryan Curran, John's son who is on his first Rotary International Service trip. Team members also include the prosthetic hand designer Dean Rock; Dr. Natalya Jenny, an occupational therapist; and prosthetics professional Eric Hurt from Hanger Clinic, a technical consultant. Last heard, their trip was going well. 

Another international service project is the India trip, scheduled for the last week in February. Five have signed on, plus a couple of non-Rotarians. This project will expand the 3-H program to Asia. Rotarians or anyone else who are interested in participating in this program can contact PP John Curran at curraj1@mmc.org  or 207-232-5478.

Mike Fortunato is arranging for a special fun Rotary meeting for networking and socializing on Thursday, Marcy 19th, to be held in place of the regular Friday meeting (PLEASE NOTE: No meeting on March 20). This will be an evening meeting, beginning at 5 PM at the Italian Heritage Center in Portland. Hors d'oeuvres will be served and a cash bar will be available. Perhaps a Trivial Pursuit game will be organized. Cost will be about the same as the weekly lunch meeting. More details to follow in the coming weeks.
 
NEW Community Service Project
On Friday, 1/24/20, Community Service Chair Gracie Johnston introduced a new Community Service project for February - The Love Month! Love thy neighbor as thyself!.....Caring, Sharing and Giving! Gracie showed a Winter Survival Bag, which contained a winter hat, gloves, lotion and lip balm.
 
We will provide "Winter Survival Kits" to the kids at the Preble Street Teen Center. Kits will include: mittens, gloves, hats, scarves, hand warmers/foot warmers, hand lotion, lip balm, and refillable water bottles.
 
Preble Street's shelter holds 24 teens, but they would welcome any number of kits. Our goal is to fill 48 kits and we'll identify them by gender. We'll be contacting Reny's and Wal-Mart for donations and are asking Rotarians to donate the items listed above. Water bottles and lip balm will be donated by Portland Radio Group. 
 
We plan on filling the "kits" at a February meeting, so please start bringing items to this Friday's meeting, January 31, 2020.
 
Thank you!

 
Prospective Rotarians
As we receive applications for prospective members to join our Portland Rotary Club, their names will be included in our Windjammer. Any information and/or comments you would like to share about the prospective members will be handled confidentially. Please contact Loretta Rowe: lrowe@maine.rr.com. Your input will be appreciated.
 
PROSPECT                
(Sponsor)                   BUSINESS                                                                          
Patricia Byers              Retired
(Amy Chipman)
 
Leslie Clark                 Portland Recovery
(Gracie Johnston)       Community Center

Nannette Duncanson  TD Bank
(Peter Goffin)
 
Natalie Ladd                Portland Phoenix
(Bowen Depke)

Jennifer Sledge           Woodlands Senior
(Bowen Depke)           Living 

 
Ian Torrey                    Cross Insurance
(Brian McDonough)

 
Mariella Uwimana       Immigrant Welcome Ctr
(Bob Martin)

Thank you.
 
Volunteer Opportunities

Following is a list of our Club's volunteer projects. If you know of other opportunities, please contact Loretta: lrowe@maine.rr.com

Project
When
Who to Contact
 

 

Preble Street
Resource Center
Soup Kitchen
4th Wednesday ea month
3:30-6:30 pm
Contact Gracie Johnston
Game Night
Long Creek
Youth Center
3rd Wednesday ea month (note change in DAY)
Mike Fortunato
or Jim Willey
  
This Week's Duty Assignments
Invocation:  Cyrus Hagge
Program Reporter:  John Marr
Bits & Pieces Reporter:  Erik Jorgensen
Photographer:  Paul Gore
Registration/Greeter:  Olivier Ndayirukiye
Sell Meal Tickets: Ellen Niewoehner
Raffle:  Jan Chapman

Collect Meal Tickets:  Mike Robinson
Sgt-at-Arms:  Larry Gross
Rotary Meeting Locations

If you would like to mark your calendars,
we are scheduled at the following locations
through March 2020:

2020 
Jan 31 - The Clarion

Feb  07 - The Clarion
        14 - The Clarion
       
21 - The Clarion
        28 - The Clarion

Mar  06 - The Clarion
         13 - The Clarion
         
20 - The Clarion
         27 - The Clarion

Blue BOLD dates are scheduled Board meeting days.

Any questions, please contact Loretta at: lrowe@maine.rr.com
 

Ongoing Item Donations Needed
The following items are needed on an on-going basis. Please feel free to bring them to a meeting where we will collect and distribute them to the appropriate projects.
 
Crutches4Africa - Crutches, canes, folding walkers and wheelchairs to be shipped to Africa. Contact: Erik Greven at: egrev95@gmail.com
 
Toiletries for the Shelters - Collect those tiny bottles of toiletries you are paying for during your next hotel visit and bring them home for members of our society who find themselves staying at a shelter and in need of personal hygiene products.